Illustration Jobs: The Best Careers to Have as an Illustrator

If you are an illustrator or are aspiring to be one then you may be thinking about your next career step. There are many different careers that can be had in this particular industry. Because of the amount of variety in career paths it can be difficult to decide on. Luckily, we have a breakdown of several illustration jobs out there:

Comic Book Illustrator

If you grew up reading comic books like a lot of kids, this could definitely be put under the “dream job” category. Because it is such a sought after role in the industry, it is also one of the hardest to get in to. You will more than likely have to start out uploading your own content and getting it out there. Start to develop your own following and you will start to get recognised by bigger companies (maybe even Marvel/DC Comics).

Courtroom Artist

We have all turned on the news and seen a courtroom sketch. Being a courtroom artists can be one of the most demanding illustration jobs out there. Media sources will want the most accurate and real sketches possible. There is very little room for error in this particular career. But demanding careers can usually come with the most satisfaction. You’ll have your own place in history if you are chosen to sketch a high profile case.

Sticking with another career in crime – however, this one is definitely not for the faint hearted. You will have to work with witnesses/victims in order to get the most accurate description of potential suspects so that the police can identify them. You may be put in to some uncomfortable situations if you go down this career path. However, being part of solving a crime can be incredibly rewarding.

Fashion Illustration Jobs

Fashion is known as being a cut-throat industry to work in. It can take a lot of hard work to be successful. You will need to start developing your portfolio early on, otherwise you won’t be taken seriously. You will also probably need to move to a major city (such as London, NYC, Milan etc.) in order to be successful as that is where fashion operates.

Medical Illustrator

Medical illustrators play a major role in the medical industry. They need to be able to accurately sketch out body parts/surgeries and more. These will then go out to hospitals, doctors, lawyers and marketing agencies. These sketches then have many different purposes. They can be used in medical malpractice cases, marketing campaigns etc. It will limit your creativity and can be squeamish but does pay incredibly well.